HOLLYWOOD 90028

 

"The bizarre and terrifying story of a psychotic killer"

Christina Hornisher was one of the few women outside of the Corman/New World factory that directed an exploitation movie (along with Doris Wishman & Roberta Findlay) and this recently re-discovered oddity is a fascinating up-till-now lost film along with being a wonderful time capsule of late 60’s Los Angeles. Hornisher went to UCLA film school in the late 60’s where B.W.L. Norton, Gloria Katz & Richard Blackburn were among her classmates with Dorothy Arzner being one of her instructors.

She directed several interesting short films while there and gathering the necessary financing and personnel she started production in 1969 on HOLLYWOOD 90028. As this would be her debut film, she chose an exploitation-type subject which could be easily sold, hopefully making some money and could be used as a steppingstone in the industry. Unfortunately like many low budget filmmakers she saw her creation disappear into the murky depts of shady distribution. Filmed in fits & starts starting in 1969, it was finally released in 1973 and was retitled several times including TWISTED THROATS and THE HOLLYWOOD HILLSIDE STRANGLER (to cash-in on an actual serial killer) in the coming years. Interestingly her classmate at UCLA Richard Blackburn wrote & directed the amazing LEMORA: A CHILD’S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL in 1973 which sadly ended up with much the same fate.

For decades afterwards the only way to see HOLLYWOOD 90028 was a truly horrible video tape derived transfer that left many scenes intelligible. In 2024 Grindhouse Releasing put out a spectacular looking Blu-ray packed with extras.

Initially made during the time when adult films were moving from softcore to full-on XXX, it is sometimes referred to as feminist manifesto on the porn industry, but it’s mostly a combination of a character study of people working in the lower level of the porn industry along  with a serial killer plotline. When it was released in 1973 the height of the “porn chic” era was in full bloom where it was thought that adult films might become a legitimate genre and XXX films like DEEP THROAT were outgrossing Hollywood blockbusters, but by contrast HOLLYWOOD 90028 deals with people working in the lower rungs of the industry.

We first meet Mark (Christopher Augustine) as he strolls down a nighttime Sunset Strip. Stopping at a diner, he meets a woman, and they go to her small apartment where he methodically strangles her as they begin to make love. From this first sequence we know we are in a different place exploitation -wise as the camera slowly prowls around her living quarters showing us her various knickknacks and record albums (Paul McCartney’s first solo album can be seen) which gives the victim an identity and individuality.

The next day Mark heads off to work where he works as a cinematographer and editor for Jobal (musician Dick Glass – one of a few music connections in the film) who produces porn loops. Mark is very conscientious in his work as he efficiently bustles about arranging lights and the camera. The shoot is a solo with a single female performer and Hornisher films it in the most unerotic way possible. There is no soundtrack music, only the noise of the camera and Jobal’s increasingly uncomfortable sounding voice commands & heavy breathing while focused from up above on the woman as the camera pushes slowly into his sweating face.

Later at another shoot this time with S&M themes Mark strikes up a friendship with one of the female actors Michelle (Jeannette Dilger). He gives her a ride home and they have coffee and later she cooks him dinner. The sequence puts the viewer on edge as we keep waiting for “it” to happen, but the pair seem to strike up an actual friendship. Michelle refuses to have sex with Mark which sends him on a trip to an adult bookstore to seek out a loop starring her. This sequence is made even more uncomfortable by the salesclerk watching a religious show on a TV with the preacher droning on as Mark enters a booth.

During their time together Michelle relates her sad story to Mark as she tells of coming to L.A. from a small Midwest town in order to break into movies and how instead she started the slow slide from posing for “art” photographs to ending up working in porn loops. Michelle sees her work as the bottom her career while Mark sees porn as steppingstone to work in legitimate films. We see him at a job interview where unable to show any of his work in films he offers the excuse that “everything is back in New York City” but we witness the futility of his career hopes.

Later Mark murders another woman that he picks up hitchhiking in a lengthy sequence involving a sailboat and the woman’s constant inane babbling as we slowly begin to witness his further mental decline. Before he picks her up, we see footage of him driving alone along streets much like Jacques Demy’s MODEL SHOP 1969. This may seem like a way to pad out the running time, but it also shows his isolation from society.

At various times during the film Mark relates his life story and we see photographs & home movies of him as a child where he is an outsider even to his own family and it is hinted at that he was responsible for his brother’s death. With these Hornisher seems to be looking back at Roman Polanski’s REPULSION 1965 and Michael Powell’s PEEPING TOM 1960 while also looking forward to the “loner serial killer” films in the 80’s such as DON’T ANSWER THE PHONE! 1980 and MANIAC 1980. The PEEPING TOM references will especially come to fruition in the films horrific climax which while invoking Powell’s film also stands as one of the most shocking final shots in 70’s cinema.

Although shot entirely in Los Angeles this not the sunny palm tree-lined city but the dirty and sordid backstreets, porn shops, and smog chocked street. Even when Mark and Michelle stroll through Century City the streets are eerily quiet and deserted making them look totally alone and isolated.

With his first screen credit Basil Poledouris (CONAN THE BARBARIAN 1982) composes a beautifully evocative score which is included on a CD with the Grindhouse Blu-ray.

Sadly, this would be Christina Hornisher’s only feature film. She passed away in 2003 with HOLLYWOOD 90028 still being a forgotten film at the time. From 1966 to 1970 she was married to Jean Pierre Geuens was cinematographer on this film along with Richard Blackburn’s LEMORA: A CHILD’S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL.

Lead actor Christopher Augustine is an accomplished drummer who played with Elton John, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Every Mother’s Son (most famous for top 40 hit Come on Down to My Boat in 1967) among others and was a busy studio musician and photographer.

Let's Go To The Movies # 4 Fri. 12 Oct 1973

 Crisp Midwest fall Oct. evening with only a couple of weeks 'till Halloween ! Lots of re-releases this week as the drive-in season winds down in Detroit, Michigan. 

The magnificent Tamera Dobson in CLEOPATRA JONES ("She's 6 feet 2" of Dynamite!") is getting a re-release with COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE (the sequel to COTTON COMES TO HARLEM) as the second feature at The Plaza downtown on Woodward Ave. and three drive-ins. 

"2 Houses of Hell-together for a night of HORROR!" Hallmark Releasing has a re-release double feature of S.F. Brownrigg's DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT (originally released as THE FORGOTTEN but retitled for the "Don't" marketing craze) and Wes Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT from 1972 which is still out there on the grindhouse circuit (and would continue to be for years). 

Released back in Aug. GORDON"S WAR starring Paul Winfield and directed by Ossie Davis. "They said it would take an army to get the mob out of Harlem. This is the army! This is Gordon's war!" is on a late show at the Palms downtown and the Mercury out on the west side. 

Ossie Davis discovered that he could not competently film the action sequences in the film so Bruce Kessler (SIMON, KING OF WITCHES and ANGELS FROM HELL) was brought in and directed all the violence and action. 

From earlier in 1973 is WALKING TALL ("the "in" movie of 1973") starring Joe Don Baker and his big whup-ass stick. Oddly they seem to be trying to sell it as a love story and/or family drama this time around. 

Russ Meyer's BLACK SNAKE (here re-titled SWEET SUZY) is playing with Paul Rapp's THE CURIOUS FEMALE which was originally going to be titled LOVE COMPUTER STYLE and had its world premiere in Detroit back in 1970.

BLACK SNAKE was Russ Meyer's return to self-financed film production and attempt at the Blaxploitation market after his stint at 20th Century which had resulted in BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLL and THE SEVEN MINUTES. BLACK SNAKE had a troubled production including the last minute drop out of it lead actress and was a box office failure which led it to being released under several different titles. 

Here we got the horrifically bad ARNOLD'S WRECKING COMPANY which was filmed in 1971 but not released until 1973 and is a "comedy" about a nerdy high school student who starts dealing pot and runs afoul of police and gangsters. 

The mondo film AFRICA UNCENSORED from 1972 is running downtown with the much more watchable and entertaining BLACULA (also from 1972). AFRICA UNCENSORED was directed by Alfredo and Angelo Castiglioni and Guido Guerrasio who did a whole series of African mondo films that mostly focused (as to be expected) on sexual fertility rites along with animal killings. 

Some major studio releases include a sneak preview of THE WAY WE WERE at the Americana and Eastland, the kind-of-forgotten today OKLAHOMA CRUDE w/ George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway and a western I've never heard of with Glenn Ford. 

Terrific double feature of ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE ("He's a good cop..on a big bike...on a bad road") and the great THE OUTSIDE MAN (which is way overdue for a Blu-ray release) is playing multiple theatres around the Motor City. 

At the Grand Circus downtown is some King-Fu action with FEARLESS FIGHTERS (aka NINJA KILLERS) from 1971 and going way back to 1967 (!!) is KISS AND KILL on the bottom half of the bill which is a Hong Kong remake of the Euro-spy PASSPORT TO HELL: SECRET AGENT 3S3.

Lots of XXX around including a nice big ad for the Krim I and II showing THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES and BEHIND THE BREEN DOOR and SPIKEY'S MAGIC WAND at the 6 Mile and Art I which is hawking stars Harry Reems and Georgina Spelvin from the classics (and perpetually running) THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES and DEEP THROAT. 

I Spit On Your Corpse ! AKA Girls For Rent 1974

"Delightful, Dirty & Deadly !"

 One of the better Independent - International Adamson/Sam Sherman efforts, this one features Georgina (The Devil in Mrs. Jones) Spelvin in one of her first non porn roles as one half of a female hit team pursuing Susan McIver (Dean Martin's Golddiggers) across miles & miles of desolate desert (which is populated almost exclusively by bumpkins & dirty old men).

  Georgina plays Sandra who's busted out of a female chain gang crew by Erica (Rosalind Miles - Shaft's Big Score) as she's been recruited to join "the syndicate", a crime organization run by Moreno (Adamson regular Kent Taylor, in his last role). Sandra has been brought on board to be V.P. in charge of operations (!?) of Moreno's all girl gang (hanging out in bikinis on a poolside leather sofa) and who specialize in blackmailing & knocking off big wig politicians & law enforcement types.
   Sandra's first job gets a bit off track however as she hires prostitute Donna to drug a politician to get some compromising picture of him. However unbeknown to Donna she's slipped him lethal poison instead and after he dies she flees in panic to Mexico with Sandra (who turns out to be a bit of a psycho) & Erica in hot pursuit with orders to kill her. Catching up to her on a desolate stretch of desert highway Sandra & Erica attempt to run her off the road in a "high speed" (involving a Ford Pinto ?!) chase whereupon the hit ladies car is wreaked and Donna escapes and stops at a remote gas station.

   While at the gas station she meets a female hitchhiker, who after Donna refuses to a give a lift to, steals her car (which leads to a grim piece of mistaken identity later). Finding herself stranded she turns down a ride from normal guy Chuck and instead catches a ride from creepy old guy H.R. in his pick-up (veteran cowboy actor Bob Livingston) who takes her back to his isolated ranch as a "present" for his mentally challenged son Ben. After stripping down for him Donna discovers that Ben isn't quite up to the task and as he stands there befuddled she hot tails it out of there stealing H.R.'s pick-up.

   Hitchhiking after wreaking their car Sandra & Erica steal one by having Sandra do a boob flash at a carload full of guys and after getting them to stop she kicks some ass with topless kung-fu. Tracking Donna back to H.R.'s ranch Sandra kills son Ben by getting him sexual aroused by grinding away on his lap with her pants down and shirt open, then blasting his brains out just as he climaxes (and then knocks off H.R.).
  By know after running out of gas in the stolen pick-up Donna meets back up with Chuck from the gas station and he agrees to help her (after getting it on at his campsite by campfire). Sandra & Erica soon show up which leads to running gun battle and climaxing with exploding cars and dune buggy chases.
   Despite some slow parts and filler the story generates some real tension and Spelvin & Miles make a great team (their acting is by far the best here). Spelvin is especially good - maniacally killing almost everyone she comes across plus bounding up & down rough terrain and rolling down rocky hills.

   Torma's DVD is one of their nicer Sam Sherman releases image wise. There's also an as always enjoyable commentary with Sherman where he relates many stories concerning the production - including the refusal of Miles to do nudity upon her arrival on the set, which met the scuttling of a skinny dipping scene with her & Spelvin (which undoubtedly would have been a highlight here). Sherman also reminisces about his friend & partner Adamson who was killed by a contractor working on his house in 1995 and was later found buried under an indoor jacuzzi in his house.
   Regina Carrol (The Freak-Out Girl !) who was Adamson's wife and frequent star was wardrobe mistress on this and all-around exploitation guy Gary Graver was the cinematographer.